Recollections
by twicknamgarden
Summary: Vignettes through the eyes of a very special child.
1. Scene 1: Bedtime

_Scene 1 - Bedtime_

The child watched her Ma and Pa through lowered lashes, wishing fervently that they would, just this once, let her stay up late.  

Things were looking good. Ma seemed thoroughly involved in the thick tomes spread about the hardwood kitchen table while Pa – (and here the child stared openly, abandoning any attempt at being inconspicuous) – was Pa _sniffing Ma's hair_?  

His slender fingers (their tips calloused from those many hours spent dealing with exploding potions and Malvolio, their extra-frisky tomcat) caressed at Ma's temples, making tiny, soothing circles. His beaky nose (the child absentmindedly touched her own) was buried in the glorious mane of Ma's brown locks and it was for the whole world to see that at that moment, Pa was the happiest wizard on Earth.

So mesmerised was she by The Scene before her that when a huge yawn threatened to escape her, she let it go without a battle. Pa jumped, and Ma took off her reading glasses and, bundling her up in her favourite woolly blanket, carried her up the stairs to her room. Pa joined them soon after with a mug of hot milk, and while she sipped contentedly at the warm liquid, Ma and Pa told a riveting tale of a young, orphaned boy who, upon discovering that he was in fact a wizard, went on to have the most exciting adventure with his two best friends at his side, encountering Grindylows and Nargles and even a baby dragon. The child fell asleep with the silvery Hippogriff that Pa had conjured prancing above her head, dreaming of the day when she would get to go to Hogwarts and meet _her_ True Love, who would delight in the scent of _her_ curling, obsidian hair.

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Disclaimer: All original HP characters and the HP-verse belong to J.K. Rowling.


	2. Scene 2: Questions

_Scene 2 - Questions_

On the eve of her fifth birthday, Seraphim came to the definitive conclusion that she had finally outgrown those nightly retellings of 'Harry and his Marvelous Magical Adventures' and demanded instead that her parents venture more into the autobiographical. That is, had they attended Hogwarts together? Did they really fall in love at first sight? Was Seraphim herself a result of their passions or had she merely materialised "by accident" one day?

"Seraphim Granger-Snape!" Ma exclaimed. "Where _do_ you come by such strange notions?"

"Yes, do enlighten us." her father drawled. "How exactly does one _materialise_ by accident?"

Seraphim proceeded to explain how Malvolio had a tendency to leave kittens all over the place after getting extra friendly with the lady cats from around the neighbourhood, so did Seraphim just unexpectedly pop out one day after Pa did the hair-sniffing thing with Ma?

"That child," Pa muttered to Ma, "is entirely too observant. Perhaps we decided against a convent education too early on."

Ma smacked him on the arm. "Don't listen to him, darling." She smiled, taking Seraphim into her arms. "Of course we didn't have you by accident. You father wanted a daughter to ply with his dusty old Potions texts for a long time coming." She cupped her daughter's cheeks with soft hands which smelt of frangipani and fresh parchment and gently turned Seraphim's head so that she stared right into Hermione's warm eyes. "And I wanted a little girl to cuddle in front of the fireplace during cold winter nights and help me with my Transfiguration research. _You_, my dear, were indisputably intentional."

"And," Pa said, reaching over and taking Seraphim into his own lap, "your mother and I weren't exactly on amicable terms when we first met, although I eventually found myself irrevocably attached to her as time went on."

Seraphim asked whether they enjoyed attending classes together during their time at Hogwarts.

Her parents shared a Look. "That is a story for another time." Pa said, while Ma looked flustered. "Come on, I'll take you up to bed. It's someone's very _special_ day tomorrow, and it simply wouldn't do to have her fall asleep over the cake."

Waving a sleepy 'goodnight' to Ma, Seraphim allowed Severus to tuck her in and protested only mildly when the customary mug of milk was brought up. After all, she would be turning _five_ tomorrow and milk was for _children._

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Disclaimer: All original HP characters and the HP-verse belong to the very talented Ms. J.K. Rowling.


End file.
